At the close of Haggai’s prophecy, the people of Israel face the monumental task of completing the rebuilding of the temple. But the prophet leaves them with a comforting note—that they are uniquely called to the task (“I have chosen you,” Haggai 2:23). As the hymns and Scriptures in the rest of the service indicate, the Lord will prosper the…
This morning’s passage from Haggai deals with the question of cleanliness versus uncleanliness. Are the people made clean by their work on the Lord’s temple? No—Haggai reminds them that all their works and offerings are still unclean (Haggai 2:14). But unlike the returning exiles, we can sing this morning of the finished work of Christ. We will declare that “His…
Nearly every element in this morning’s service can be tied to three verses in the sermon text. In Haggai 2:7, the Lord makes two promises: to “shake all nations” and to fill His house with their treasures. The opening and closing psalms that we sing this morning address both. In Why Do Gentile Nations Rage—Psalm 2, we find the Lord…
After calling His people to a great work at the opening of Haggai’s prophecy, the Lord assures them in verse 13 that He will enable them to accomplish this monumental task. Likewise, many of the hymns and readings in today’s service emphasize God’s provision for our own callings. The Lord promises to prosper our work (Praise to the Lord, The…
Blessed are those who dwell in Your house, ever singing Your praise! —Psalm 84:4 The prophecy of Haggai is addressed to the generation tasked with rebuilding the temple, following the Israelites’ return from exile in Babylon. This duty of God’s people to cultivate the place He has given them is seen throughout the Scriptures—and in this morning’s service. Psalm 84,…
Many of the hymns we sing this morning focus on God’s providence. The service is bookended by verses from O Worship The King, a paraphrase of Psalm 104, which speaks of God’s kingly majesty and His “bountiful care.” In Jesus, Shepherd Of Thy People, we declare that we “trust [His] mighty hand,” while in The Lord I Will At All…
The theme of this morning’s service is a familiar one, but one that we always need to be reminded of: love. We will hear of God’s love for us, Jesus’ loving sacrifice on our behalf, our duty to love God and our neighbors, and how this love affects our lives and actions. We are invited into worship with an imperative…
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. —2 Corinthians 1:2 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. —2 Corinthians 13:14 Paul ends his letter where he began—with God’s grace. A persistent theme throughout has been that the…
Let us haste, with tears of sorrow, one and all to be forgiven. —Latin hymn, 5th century As Paul brings his letter to a close, he leaves his readers with a sobering call to repentance. He urges them, “examine yourselves” and “test yourselves” (vs. 5), promising that if they persist in their sin he “will not spare them” (vs. 2). …
In this morning’s sermon text from 2 Corinthians, Paul explains that he has written his second letter to build them up (“all for your upbuilding,” vs. 19). Similarly, the hymns we sing in worship this morning use the language of “building,” “flourishing,” and “making sure.” The Call to Worship from Psalm 68 and the two sung psalms that follow, O…
